Chapter 38
Meanwhile, Harper had reached her friend’s company–the one who’d live streamed for her. Since the girl wasn’t answering her phone, Harper went straight upstairs to find her.
The girl looked surprised when she saw her. “Harper? What are you doing here?”
“Karen, I need to talk to you about something.” Harper glanced at the other people inside, then pulled Karen outside.
“What’s up? Why all the secrecy?” Karen asked, confused.
“I texted you last night–why didn’t you respond?” Harper started with that question.
“Oh God, don’t even get me started,” Karen said, exasperated. “Everyone who worked on ‘Voice of Heaven‘ yesterday had their phones confiscated.”
“What the hell happened?” Harper immediately got a bad feeling.
“Yesterday Once More” getting censored, and now this–at the exact same time they needed footage from the “Voice of Heaven” crew.
“Honestly, I have no clue,” Karen said. “They still haven’t given our phones back. I had to borrow someone else’s phone to call my mom and let her know I’m okay.”
“Sorry about that. The company’s treating this super seriously–I walked past the conference room at lunch and heard them talking about NDAs.”
Seeing Harper’s worried expression, Karen grabbed her hand. “What’s wrong? Tell me what’s going on, maybe I can help.”
Back in the hospital room, Amelia wrinkled her nose. “If it smells that good, you better get it on my table ASAP.”
She pulled over the bed table and patted it, looking at Caspian expectantly.
Caspian raised an eyebrow. Nice! She played innocent around his sister but got all sassy when it was just the two of them.
He was into it, honestly. If she wasn’t hung up on Nathan, he would’ve made his move ages ago.
Caspian sat in the chair beside her bed and started arranging the takeout containers on her table, taking his sweet time.
“All set, little Amelia. Dinner is served.” He made an exaggerated “after you” gesture.
Now he was treating her like a kindergartener. Amelia didn’t care, just grabbed her chopsticks and dug in.
The food was actually really good–rivaled that congee Harper had brought her the other day.
“Where’d you get this? I want to remember the place,” she asked casually.
Caspian just smiled. “You like it?”
“Yeah.”
“Next time you’re craving it, just tell me. I’ll pick it up for you,” Caspian said with a grin.
Amelia choked on her food. She coughed hard and knocked over a dish, spilling soup all over her clothes.
Caspian patted her back and handed her napkins. “Two sentences and you’re choking like that?”
When Amelia finally caught her breath, she wiped herself off and said, “Caspi, please don’t. Harper’s not here today, but if she was, I wouldn’t dare eat anything you brought me.”
Caspian tapped her forehead with his finger. “That hurts my feelings a little.”
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Amelia didn’t know what to say, just gave him a helpless look.
Since there was quite a bit of soup on her clothes, she needed to change in the bathroom. Caspian reached out to help her up.
Amelia tried to wave him off twice but he wouldn’t take no for an answer, so she gave up. It wasn’t like he was going to follow her into the bathroom.
The private room had two sections–one with the hospital bed, and another separated by a frosted glass door that led to a balcony area. The design maintained privacy while still letting in natural light.
The bathroom was on the balcony side. Amelia went into the bathroom while Caspian waited on the balcony.
In the bathroom, Amelia looked at her soiled clothes and finally spoke up.
“Caspian, Harper and I have been best friends since we were kids. You’re her brother, so I think of you as my brother too.”
She could only say this with the bathroom door between them.
“So those jokes Harper makes about ‘trading‘ you to me–don’t take them seriously.”
On the other side of the door, Caspian’s smile gradually faded. Noon sunlight fell at his feet, and his eyes went dark.
A second of silence. Then he responded casually, “Got it. You know how Harper is–always coming up with crazy ideas.”
Hearing that Caspian’s voice sounded normal, Amelia relaxed. She was genuinely worried he might take Harper’s matchmaking seriously.
She’d always seen him as just Harper’s brother, nothing more. Harper kept trying to set them up despite Amelia shutting it down repeatedly. Harper did whatever she wanted.
Good thing they’d cleared the air today. Would prevent awkwardness later.
Amelia hurried to change clothes.
“Haha, you sound rattled by Harper’s scheming,” Caspian called through the door. “Can you walk okay? Need me to call someone to help you change?”
Hearing Caspian’s teasing tone, Amelia completely relaxed. Still that same smartass attitude–everything was fine.
“I can manage just fine, thanks!” she shot back.
Amelia quickly changed clothes and opened the bathroom door, holding her dirty shirt in one hand. She glared at Caspian, who was standing outside grinning at her.
Still his usual carefree self. He offered his arm: “Your Majesty, please allow me to escort you.”
Amelia rolled her eyes and took his arm. They walked toward the frosted glass door.
Through the glass, she thought she glimpsed someone standing by the hospital room door. But she couldn’t see clearly.
They opened the balcony door and stepped out. A breeze swept through, making Amelia shiver.
She noticed the hospital room door was open, swaying slightly in the wind.
“Caspian, was the room door open before?” Amelia asked.
“Don’t remember,” Caspian said dismissively. He walked over and closed the door.
Amelia nodded, not thinking much of it. Maybe she’d imagined it, or someone ad just walked by. This was a hospital–people coming and going all the
time.
Outside the room, Nathan stood at the corner with his jaw clenched tight. He leaned against the wall, lips pressed into a hard line.
The playful voices from the balcony still echoed in his ears. Through the frosted glass, he’d seen two figures close together.
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Was this another one of her games? Deliberately staging this for him to see, trying to make him jealous?
Something had felt off from the moment he’d asked about Amelia’s room at the front desk. They’d said finding her room would “take some time“-had they already tipped someone off?
Waiting for him to come upstairs so they could put on a show.
Nathan closed his eyes, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles went white.
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Chapter 39
